History of PFLAG
Jeanne Manford marching with her son Morty in the Christopher Street Liberation Day March
The idea for PFLAG began in 1972 when a woman named Jeanne Manford received a call from the hospital and learned that her son Morty had been beaten at a gay rights protest. Jeanne was outraged to learn that the police had stood by and done nothing, so she took action by first writing a letter to the editor, that most papers wouldn't print, then by marching with her son in New York's Christopher Street Liberation Day March, the precursor to today's Pride parade. After many gay and lesbian people ran up to Jeanne during the parade and begged her to talk to their parents, she recognized that there was a real need, and decided to begin a support group. (Here's a wonderful article from The New Yorker that's worth reading titled, "How One Mother's Love For Her Gay Son Started A Revolution", as well as an article/audio recording with Jeanne from the podcast Making Gay History.)
The first formal meeting took place on March 11, 1973, in the basement of a church in Greenwich Village. In the next few years, through word of mouth and community need, similar groups sprang up around the country, offering "safe havens" and mutual support for parents with gay and lesbian children.
In 1981, members decided to launch a national organization called PFLAG, which at that time stood for Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays. Since then, PFLAG has grown to nearly 400 chapters and several hundred thousand members and is the nation's largest organization of its kind. Through the years, the needs of other family members, friends, and allies were also being addressed, along with those of bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning people, and others. So, in an effort to better reflect those decades of fully inclusive work, the organization dropped the acronym in 2014 and has since been known simply as PFLAG.
In 1989, a chapter was formed on Cape Cod and over the years has offered monthly in-person support meetings in Brewster, Falmouth, and Barnstable. In March 2020, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, PFLAG Cape Cod began offering virtual support meetings, allowing those seeking and offering support the opportunity to do so from the safety, comfort, and convenience of their home. These monthly support meetings, whether in-person or virtual, provide a safe space that is relaxed, nonjudgmental, and confidential. People often find others with similar issues, and discussions often help relieve feelings of confusion, isolation, anger, or helplessness. In 2023, a Portuguese-language support meeting was started in Hyannis and today offers hybrid support meetings (in-person and virtual).
In addition to our monthly support meetings in Brewster, Falmouth, and Hyannis, and online via Zoom, PFLAG Cape Cod is active in the local community by networking with other organizations and participating in and/or tabling at various local events, such as the MLK Breakfast, Suicide Awareness Walk, Oak Bluffs Martha's Vineyard Pride Parade, Cape Cod Pride Festival, International Festival, Provincetown Carnival Parade, and the Transgender Day of Remembrance, to name a few. The organization sponsors conferences and workshops, speaks at local churches and organizations, provides valuable resources and materials, hosts a podcast series, and awards scholarships/toolships to graduating high school seniors who have been advocates for equality!
The first formal meeting took place on March 11, 1973, in the basement of a church in Greenwich Village. In the next few years, through word of mouth and community need, similar groups sprang up around the country, offering "safe havens" and mutual support for parents with gay and lesbian children.
In 1981, members decided to launch a national organization called PFLAG, which at that time stood for Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays. Since then, PFLAG has grown to nearly 400 chapters and several hundred thousand members and is the nation's largest organization of its kind. Through the years, the needs of other family members, friends, and allies were also being addressed, along with those of bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning people, and others. So, in an effort to better reflect those decades of fully inclusive work, the organization dropped the acronym in 2014 and has since been known simply as PFLAG.
In 1989, a chapter was formed on Cape Cod and over the years has offered monthly in-person support meetings in Brewster, Falmouth, and Barnstable. In March 2020, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, PFLAG Cape Cod began offering virtual support meetings, allowing those seeking and offering support the opportunity to do so from the safety, comfort, and convenience of their home. These monthly support meetings, whether in-person or virtual, provide a safe space that is relaxed, nonjudgmental, and confidential. People often find others with similar issues, and discussions often help relieve feelings of confusion, isolation, anger, or helplessness. In 2023, a Portuguese-language support meeting was started in Hyannis and today offers hybrid support meetings (in-person and virtual).
In addition to our monthly support meetings in Brewster, Falmouth, and Hyannis, and online via Zoom, PFLAG Cape Cod is active in the local community by networking with other organizations and participating in and/or tabling at various local events, such as the MLK Breakfast, Suicide Awareness Walk, Oak Bluffs Martha's Vineyard Pride Parade, Cape Cod Pride Festival, International Festival, Provincetown Carnival Parade, and the Transgender Day of Remembrance, to name a few. The organization sponsors conferences and workshops, speaks at local churches and organizations, provides valuable resources and materials, hosts a podcast series, and awards scholarships/toolships to graduating high school seniors who have been advocates for equality!